For the second straight year, the University of Florida is ranked No. 7 among national public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report 2026 rankings released on Tuesday.
UF also had back-to-back top 5 rankings in 2021 and 2022 before sliding down one spot to No. 6 in September 2023. This was followed by another one-spot drop to No. 7 in September 2024.
This marks the eighth year in a row that UF has been ranked in the top 10 among national public universities. After being No. 14 in 2017, Florida jumped to No. 9 in 2018, No. 7 in 2019 and No. 6 in 2020 before eventually cracking the top 5 in 2021.
“UF’s ranking among the very best public universities in the country reflects the dedication of our faculty, staff and students and the strong support we receive from the state of Florida, for which we are grateful,” Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, said in a press release. “Once again, this is proof positive that the University of Florida’s future is as bright as it ever was. We refuse to slow down.”
UF tied for No. 7 with the University of Texas-Austin among the top public universities in this year’s rankings. Additionally, the two institutions also tied for No. 30 among all universities, including public and private.
Last year, UF tied with New York University for No. 30 among public and private schools, sliding two spots from 2024’s No. 28 ranking.
“UF’s standing reflects a decade of concerted effort, supported by historic state investment and federal research funding, leading to stronger student outcomes, inspired research accomplishments and ever-greater impact on the economy of Florida,” UF interim President Donald Landry said in the release. “Our future is one of thriving students, groundbreaking research and signal service to our state, because fortune favors the bold.”
According to the release, U.S. News & World Report assesses universities based on a variety of factors, including graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.”
Below is a look at where some of the other prominent Florida colleges stack up in the public university rankings.
- No. 21: Florida State University
- No. 43: University of South Florida
- No. 46: Florida International University
- No. 57: University of Central Florida
- No. 92: Florida A&M University
- No. 100: Florida Atlantic University
The latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report come nearly a month after Forbes magazine named UF the No. 5 public university in the country. This was a drop of one spot from the 2024 rankings.
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.